Audiences will be part of the action and led around the site

The plays date back to 1200 AD when workers gave their own interpretations - often spirited and irreverent - of Bible stories.

Daniel MacPherson from Neighbours and the Bill is playing Jesus, joined by a cast of more than 100 local people.

The audience will move around the cathedral and be part of the action in performances starting on Thursday.

The plays will be performed in two-hour "cycles", with two different start times each evening.

There are two productions, one of the Creation and one of the Passion - each includes several stories.

Producer Kevin Wood has promised "the theatrical experience of a lifetime".

"The Mystery Plays are the greatest story ever told," he said.